Many computer-related or information technology (“IT”) devices may be used at a data center. Temporary changes in the states of the devices, arising from modifications to hardware and software, may complicate proper management and optimization. A system administrator, for example, may back up data and software for system restoration after modifications have taken place. Since a modified system may include multiple types of middleware, the backup data may not function to restore the system unless the system and the middleware have been synchronized.
In some data centers, a single IT device may be used for various purposes. In such an environment, the system may need to be reconstructed for each usage. This may require reintroducing and reconfiguring previously-introduced middleware with each usage, with added expense.
Further, a product-testing division may test various IT devices. For improved efficiency, an introduction image for each IT device may be used to construct a test environment to determine which operating system (“OS”) and middleware should be used. A combination of related middleware, such as an OS, a Web application server (“WAS”), and a data server, may be required for the test environment. Since versions of hardware or software must be strictly set, however, the middleware used in the test environment may need to be configured and re-configured according to the particular versions of the IT devices under test.